L V
“Staying alive costs money.”
This book’s main character felt like a high school senior whose plans for the future were up in the air, and she was drowning in thoughts of her uncertain future post graduation. Ah Ro’s role: the kind and intune guidance counselor who holds her hand and gives the teen the resources and support she needs to help carve her path in life.
This story is nuts! It starts out in 1980 with Andy,16, being given the task of testing his dad’s amusement park rides. Rides constructed by people his dad knew in a past life or hired on the cheap. Andy faces the Cannonball Loop, which is scheduled to premiere in a month’s time, and as much as Andy likes to test out his teenaged bravado, even this scary looking ride gives him pause. The rides keep getting more dangerous, so much so that the media is picking up on it and writing stories about it to warn the public. This media attention only serves to make it a must-visit kind of place for thrill seekers.
Andy and his siblings just keep getting more and more banged up until they get the hang of the rides and learn to ride them with as little injury as possible, but customers don’t have this advantage (?), and they don’t seem to mind. Seeing with his own eyes how rides are erected at Action Park, and witnessing the near fatality of its patrons when riding them, would not only give me pause, I’d run in the opposite direction without ever looking back.
Still, with all the lack of licensed engineering, safety procedures, trained personnel, etc., there is something nostalgic about this book that cannot be denied. It’s like when older folk reminisce about the times when they could ride in cars without seatbelts and pack all their kids and pets in the back of a truck bed and go on long, winding, speedy rides.
Kids from the 70s and 80s were tough. They licked their wounds if they got hurt in a public place - no one dared think to sue. They just walked it off, if they were lucky. And reading about what went on in Action Park, it’s amazing that many were able to do just that. What a time to be young and free! If anyone is reading this and has their own Action Park or similar days-of-yore stories, do share. I find it to be so much fun!
I see this one as a mashup of Rear Window and Only Murders in the Building. All of the characters are colorful and lovable. The setting is beautiful and peaceful, and had me thinking about my own neighbors: how well do I really know them?? As the story went on, I just wanted to learn more about these folks instead. I just loved tagging along and deciphering the clues with the main characters. I was guessing who’d done until the very end. A fun and satisfying read indeed.
Contains spoilers
“It’s about the blatant criticism of girls who were victims of manipulation. It’s about holding the right person accountable for the crime he committed. It’s about corporations attempting to silence victims and continuing to profit off the very monster they helped create.”
When Korey tells of his first time at 14 with an older woman, Enchanted is devastated for him because he was groomed and had not realized it. Meanwhile, he’s doing the exact thing to her, but he’s so smooth at what he does that she can’t recognize it for what it is. It broke my heart.
The parent’s guilt also got to me. They knew deep inside not to let her go, but when your child wants something so very much, you’d do almost anything to make it happen and Korey took advantage of their love for their daughter. You hear stories of groomers playing the long game to build that trust slowly over time, but it can also happen in the blink of an eye. My heart goes out to all victims and the families who’ve had to endure such pain, betrayal, doubt, and humiliation.
From Sam Cooke to The Chainsmokers, songs, as we know them, are reimagined as Shakespearean sonnets. I wanted to include one in my review, but couldn’t decide on the perfect one. Some are clever, others, a bit saucy, most are pretty much a good laugh. If you need some light reading, a palate cleanser, or something with a bit of humor that can help pull you out of a slump, pick this one up. The book is divided into five parts:
Sonnets of Love
Sonnets of Despair
Songs of Time and Morality
Rogues, Rascals, and Wanton Women
Ballads of Heroes
The author begins by recalling a road trip his family made back in 1976, when he was 7 years old. It was a time when there weren’t any smart phones, tablets, Spotify or GPS. And can you even imagine the car radio not being able to tune into a decent radio station? The horror!
From waking up at the crack of dawn to make good time to rationing snacks and planning out rest stops, the author unfurls the minute details it took to plan and execute the great, big family road trip. Along with his shared highs and lows of the trips of his youth, he expertly weaves historical feats that helped make family road trips possible in the first place. The evolution of paved roads, the automobile boom, Cape Canaveral (and so much more!) have all done their part in making the road trip accessible while also taking a part in shaping our current landscape and economy.
If you’re not into story telling mixed with bits of history lessons, this one isn’t for you. But if you were a 70s or 80s baby and remember making family road trips, and all that it entailed, you’ll appreciate this trip down memory lane (for good or for worse). Now read quietly back there, and don’t make me pull over. I’ll turn this car right back ‘round and we can forget the whole thing. I mean it!
“It works because it’s rock and roll” ch 56
This was a nice cozy read. A great array of songs are mentioned instantly taking me back to my youth. If you’re looking for something where not much happens, in terms of twists and turns, but you still want to care about the characters and feel something, this one’s for you. It also makes for a good palate cleanser in between those heavier reads.
P.S. Gustavo’s recurring joke finally makes me guffaw at chapter 50.
A million thanks to @Audiobooks=Life for bringing this book to my attention. I thoroughly enjoyed the flow of the story—how the reader gets to peek into the character’s private thoughts and life and then is treated to a podcast update. I highly recommend you pair this read with the audiobook. And buckle up, because searching for who’s done done it is going to take you in all directions at once and leave you with whiplash. It’s a mystery that is sprinkled with humor and sarcasm, which I love. Will definitely be recommending this one to friends.
Lucas and I share the same philosophy of life, and I fell for him on page 1.
“You have to position yourself somewhere right between “What a great guy!” and “He seems . . . weird.” That’s your sweet spot.”
It’s official: Backman is my new favorite author. His characters are always relatable and loaded with that great balance of humor, compassion and sarcasm. And his books are so quotable. Another one that made me chuckle:
“Lucas opens the door with the defeated manner of a sausage that dressed itself up as a carrot to avoid being eaten by a bear, only to be found by a rabbit.”
🎧 + 📖
“Part of being alive is figuring out the balance between what you want, what you need, and what you have with what you don’t want, don’t need, and don’t have.”
A teen from a well-to-do family has parents who only live to keep up appearances. When she takes on a summer job working for a family a bit different from her own, Mary Jane’s world blossoms in the most beautiful of ways. Some serious issues including race, stereotypes, and sexuality are explored in a respectful, and at times, very humorous manner.
“I hadn't understood that people you loved could do things you didn't love. And, still, you could keep loving them.”
Audiobook Warning: many of the characters have a habit of yelling across the room making for tense audio moments. Don’t listen to this if you’re trying to put a baby to sleep! Don’t get me wrong, it’s a great narration,like, really good. It’s just loud because it is meant to be. A bonus, however, is that the song mentioned throughout the story is played in its entirety at the end.
Overall Warning: Take a shot every time egg/bird in a nest is mentioned, and you will need your stomach pumped. You’ve been warned
🎧+ 📖
I chose this one because I liked the book cover! The characters are all so relatable. One sister is so ambitious and stops at nothing to make her dream come true. Coming from a humble and hardworking family, achieving those goals is not so easy. When a death in the family occurs and an inheritance comes her way, will she split it with her equally talented and needing sister? This is a story of how that sister’s one decision impacts two generations of the family and beyond. Life’s unexpected obstacles and tragedies do not make this journey any easier. But it serves as a reminder of how good family, good friends, desperation, and a little determination can help pull you through most anything.
My greatest takeaway: prepare as much as you can throughout your life for your old age. You never know what can happen at any stage in your life that can leave you jobless, with no health insurance, and bills that come rushing in like that scene in Harry Potter when all those letters come flying in from the fireplace. Having no one to depend on, even worse: having people who rely on you when you’re scrambling to make ends meet is such a miserable and desperate place to be. Prepare for the future as best you can.
“No one in need of a rescue gets the savior of her choice.”
Excellent audiobook narrator .
"Our lives are always illuminated by the lives of others."
What will you remember about your life when the ending draws near? Nils reflects on his time as a ferryman, the people he guided through the fjord and the lessons he learned from observing them. He reflects on building his life with his loving wife Marta. This was a peaceful read - like being on a still boat, reflecting on water that glimmers and glows from an orange sunset.
"Some loves don't end. They just change form, from touch to memory."
Scrolling through Libby and came across this little gem. What a great way to introduce the little ones to figures from other eras. I especially liked the included brief little time line of Bowie’s achievements, and the suggestions for further reads and songs of his to listen to. Where was the Little People, Big Dreams series when the kids in my life were small?? No matter. I’m going to use the series as palate cleansers whenever I hit that dreaded reading slump and ready myself for when the next generation of little ones bless our family.
I am one of those who wants to read more of the classics but is totally intimidated by them. This book serves as the perfect solution. It provides brief synopses of great works and insight into the life and times of its authors. What’s really cool is that the author assumes you know the works being referenced. So, whenever I came across characters/events I wasn’t familiar with (almost half of the book), I’d look it up, read a little summary, and record the title of work to add to my potential Classics TBR list. This made for a fun scavenger hunt.
So much is covered in this entertaining read. Everything from The Aenid by Virgil to The Sign of Four by Sherlock Holmes. My favorite texts: Heathcliffe and Cathy professing their love for one another. Hilarious and the best summary of Wuthering Heights I’ve come across.
I read Daisy Miller ages ago and couldn’t quite recall what it was about. The texts by the mean girls refreshed my memory. Pretty sad. Hamlet was silly, as were the texts between Ron and Hermione in Harry Potter. Overall, a great read, especially if you pause and look up the pieces you are not familiar with. And I highly recommend you read along with the audiobook. The actors bring the book to life.
Wow, what a page-turner! This book was first published in 1953 and was the author’s first novel. He was 23 at the time—talk about knocking it out of the park.
The writing and clever plotting has held up well and definitely stands the test of time. It’s still as scandalous and intriguing as it was then. And if you like despicable characters, this book’s for you. Just savage.
A fast paced thriller filled with suspense and a satisfying-ish ending. Definitely have to read more of this author’s work and perhaps catch one of the movie adaptations to A Kiss Before Dying.
You could feel the hopelessness and desperation in each page. When you’re born with nothing, you have no mom or anyone who’d love you like a mom, and life doesn’t give you a chance to make it better, you can feel defeated and just give up. Lala is made of stronger stuff, and I want to think that in the end she finally finds her sliver of paradise. Sweep, my sister.
Lala lives in beautiful Barbados, but her life isn’t so picturesque. Set in the 1980s, Lala has to deal with domestic violence, poverty, dysfunctional family dynamics, motherhood and loss. Sometimes happiness comes with a cost, and she pays dearly (perhaps not as much as the ones who help her).
Greatest takeaway: In the end, when you truly love someone, you don’t care as much about yourself as you do for that person’s safety and wellbeing. You’d sacrifice most anything for that.
I highly recommend that you read this paired with the audiobook. The narrator's voice is like honey. Perfect tone and accent to capture the emotion the story conveys. It takes you to the sandy beaches and warm breezes of Barbados. Just lovely.
“It felt like such a waste. All of those words, those books, that love. All of it felt wasted on someone who didn’t want it. Someone who would let it all burn.”
I felt every bit of everything Adelaide endured. The emotional and physical pain of an unrequited love is too much to deal with, add to it everything else piled on top of her plate, and it’s almost unbearable. Thank goodness for loving friends and family members that are there to help you pick up the pieces; and for good doctors who listen before diagnosing and prescribing. Not many Adelaides have these blessings.
This is another audiobook I chose at random, and I’m glad I did. It’s unique in that most of the story is told through the family’s typewriter, Olivetti. Olivetti holds all of the memories and things everyone has typed into the machine. When a family crisis develops, he decides to break the typewriter code and begins to type out messages that can help pull the family through.
Beautifully told, and a reminder to respect animate and inanimate objects alike. The narrator was engaging and the book kept my interest from page 1. Would highly recommend it to the young and adults alike.
This is a sweet story about a dad and son who’ve recently lost their wife/mom in a tragic accident. The dad misses her everyday, but the stresses of keeping his head above water paying the bills and worrying about his son (who had stopped speaking completely since mom’s death) doesn’t allow the time they need to help one another grieve together and overcome the darkness that enfolds them.
A few unexpected things change all that and they begin to be there for one another and become the closest of friends. They share memories and talk about mom often, and in doing so, realize that mom will always be there with them.
I picked this audiobook randomly from Libby. And I do recommend it in audio form as the narrator was engaging and made the funny bits a delight.
